techtravels.org

inital results on error correction

While I have yet to actually implement the full-scale error correction as I want to, I did some manual tests today. I basically took a track that I was erroring out on, and swapped in 1-bit away values for the bad bytes.  In some cases, it appeared...

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problem with high density disks

I’m running into an issue with HD, high density, floppies.  The output on the scope looks just fine, but I get a consistent bad checksum on all the tracks.  I’ve tried with and without covering the HD hole...

Reverse engineering the LCD interface

So I was having trouble getting the LCD working initially, so I ended up probing a working HDMI to LCD converter board sold by adafruit. You see, this board was driving my LCD just fine, but my FPGA couldn’t do...

Magiquest at Myrtle Beach

I just got back from a week in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Not my ideal vacation spot, but it was half business, so why not make the other half pleasure?! In a shopping area called Broadway at the Beach, there was a...

ISSI memory chip mounted

So I can’t believe how freakin’ tiny those pins are coming off the memory chip.  The pads on the surfboard were huge by comparison.  I actually thought there was a manufacturing defect on the memory chip and...

Armiga Project

Here’s a cool project that I have some involvement with, the Armiga Project. This is basically an ARM-based emulation platform for the Amiga 500 that uses normal Commodore Amiga floppy disks! Pretty cool, and I...

Parts ordered for the A501 replacement card

I placed an order yesterday for some prototyping parts to get this project off the ground. Some of the key parts are: ISSI 256kx16 SRAM chips. IC SRAM 4MBIT 25NS 44TSOP A surfboard to do 44-pin TSOP II to DIP.  Wish me...